Improvement in type-writing machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. A.BROOKS. Type-Writing Machine. No. 202,923. Patented April 30,1878.

aa kzh/z PEYERS. PHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENTOEEIoE.

BYRON A. BROOKS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,923, dated April30, 1878; application filed December 30, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, BYRON A. BRooKs, of

-New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain Improvements in Type-Writing Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The main object of my invention is to produce a machine which, withouthaving duplicate keys and type-bars, will print both capital and smallletters, so that the depression of each key will cause the printing ofan upper or lower case letter, as may be desired. The improvements are,however, applicable for printing any other two characters by one key.

The invention consists in the combination of type-bars, each having twoor more letters or characters, with a Vibratory platen, which may beadjusted instantly to receive the impression of either letter required.

It is obvious that the construction and arrangement of the details maybe varied without departing from the limits of my invention, whichcovers, broadly, the idea of combining, in such manner as to have avibratory movement in relation to each other, a platen and a series oftype-bars, each of which carries an upper and a lower case letter, sothat by means of the one key either character may be printed at will.

In the accompanying drawings Ihave shown the construction which Iconsider the best, a rotary platen, such as now used in machines in themarket, being arranged to vibrate in x its supporting-frame.

Figure 1 represents a top-plan view of my machine; Fig. 2, a verticalcross-section of the same; Fig. 3, a diagram, illustrating the relationof the type-bar and platen and the movement of the latter; Fig. 4, aface or plan view of the end of the type-bar.

A represents the frame of the machine; B, the cylindrical platen,mounted in a sliding frame, G, and arranged to rotate and to moveendwise, as usual, in order to give the required movement to the paper;D, the typebars, pivoted to the under side of the frame, around anopening therein, and arranged to strike at a common point or center, asusual; and E, the keys or finger-pieces, connected one with each bar,for the purpose of operating the same, the above parts being allconstructed and arranged in the same general manner as usual, andprovided with the usual details and adjuncts well known to thosefamiliar with this class of machines. The typebars, however, instead ofbeing provided, as usual, with a single type or letter, are eachprovided with two, one a capital and the other the corresponding smallletter, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the two being arrangedside by side, and in such relation to the platen as to strike it atright angles to its transverse direction. The platen, instead of havingfixed bearings in the frame 0, is mounted in a secondary inside frame,a, arranged to slide forward and backward in the frame 0, so that bymoving it to and fro the platen may be brought over and caused toreceive the impression from the one or the other of the two type on eachtype-bar, as is clearly represented by Fig. 2. When the frame and rollerare in one position the machine will print capitals, and when they arein the other position it will print small letters.

A handle, H, is connected with the rollerframe for the purpose ofdrawing it forward, and a spiral spring, I, arranged to push itbackward, the latter being the position in which it ordinarily stands,and in which it causes the printing of small or lower-case letters.

It is obvious that, if desired, the spring I may be omitted, and the rodH alone used; or that, instead of the rod H, a lever or other equivalentdevice may be arranged, to be operated by the hand or foot to vibratethe platen.

When the machine is in operation the spring holds the roller back, andthe manipulation of the keys causes the printing of the small-bodyletters in the usual manner; and then, when the capitals are required,the roller is simply drawn forward, and the same keys depressed as forthe printing of the corresponding small letters. Thus it will be seenthat without duplicating the keys or type-bars, at a trifling expense,without increasing perceptibly the complication of the parts, andwithout increasing the bulk of the machine, I adapt it for printing bothstyles of letters, as may be required.

It is obvious that the manner of moving the platen may be varied; that,instead of moving the platen, the entire series of type-bars may bemoved; and also that, instead of having the large and small letters oneach bar, two or more characters of any other kind maybe used.

I am aware that a vibrating platen has before been described, and alsothat type-bars are shown in connection therewith having several lettersthereon; but in such case the letters were all of one kindthat is, allupper-case letters; and, moreover, said typebars, instead of beingarranged to strike or print at a common center, were arranged to printside by side at different points, thereby necessitating a complicatedand irregular movement of the platen back and forth along the line ofprinting, in order to print the let ters in their usual or properpositions. In that case the object was to print a single alphabet with areduced number of keys, while the object of my invention is to print twoor more alphabets or sets of characters with a single set of keys of theusual number.

I am aware that swinging type bars, a hinged sliding paper-carriage, andmechanism for feeding the carriage and for advancing the paper thereonhave been hitherto employed in machines of this class, and therefore Idisclaim said features, and all other features shown in the drawingsexcept such as are distinctly claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A type-bar, foruse in a type-writing machine, carrying an upper and a lower caseletter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a type-writer, of a type-bar carrying an upperand a lower case letter with a platen arranged to vibrate in a linetransverse to the line of printing, whereby either of said letters maybe printed in line at will, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a series of type-bars carrying upper and lowercase letters, the letters of each set being arranged to strike or printat a common center, with a platen arranged to vibrate transversely tothe line of printing, as set forth.

4. The combination of a series of type-bars, each provided with an upperand lower case letter, with a series of keys for operating the same, anda platen arranged to move in line with the printing, and also at rightangles thereto, substantially as described.

5. The sliding frame 0, having the transversely -sliding frame a, withthe platen B mounted therein, and provided with the rod H or equivalentdevice, for controlling the transverse movements of the platen,substantially as described.

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a swinging type-barmounted on a fixed pivot, and carrying an upper and a lower case type,with a movable platen, arranged so that it may be adjusted to receive ata given point the impression of either one of said types at will,substantially as shown.

BYRON A. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

G. W. N. YOST, M. E. MCALLIs'rER.

